Pad mounting



May 17,1932. F, J TUART 1,858,943

PAD MOUNTING Filed July 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. fiFA/VK J STUART,

A TTORNE Y.

May 17, 1932; F, STUART 1,858,943

PAD MOUNT I NG Filed Jilly 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 h. aylllll'alllli T- A r 569/2 44 INVENT0R.. v FRANK J 5T1/AR By V," I; wa A! ATTORNEY.

Patented May 17, 1932 PATENT OFFICE FRANK J'. STUART, OF S'IKLOUIS, MISSOURI ran MOUNTING Application filed July 13, 1929. Serial No. 378,117.

The invention seeks to improve the mounting of pads for use in treatment of hernia, and particularly devices of the character and manner of use disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 345,527, filed March 8th, 1929, although other uses and structural forms of the device are possible.

An important object of the invention is to 7 present a pad and mounting in which the pad is adjustable easily, and without expensive structure, so that by novel structure it may be presented at various angles to the body without modifying the form of the body embracing spring mounting 12 or other mounting. A further purpose is to provide a novel means for securing the pad in adjusted positions.

It is an aim of the invention to provide an extremely simple low cost mounting for the 52.0 hard pad 10 and the plate 11 of my prior application adapted to attain the improved functions and utility above set forth.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be more readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein s I Figure 1 is a back view of a pad and mounting embodying my invention.

Figure 1a is a top view of a complete mounting and pad. r

Figure 2 is a side view thereof. 7

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the pad difierentlyadjusted.

Figure 4 is a view showing in use upon a person.

Figure 5 is a side view of the device showing a spring cushion member interposed between the plate and tongue.

Figure 6 is a top view of a modification.

Figure 7 is a side view thereof.

Figure 8 is a section on line 88 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a top view of a further modification.

Figure 10 is a side view thereof.

Figure 11 is a side view of the plate and pad in the last described form.

the appliance Figure 12 is a detail of the pivot in the last modification.

There is illustrated a pad 10, which ordinarily consists of a hollow, centrally apertured hard rubber member mounted on a back plate 11 for use as described in my said prior application. The back plate 11 in this instance has a transverse pin 20 inserted therethrough, its end exposed to form'trunnions 21. There is provided a resilient support or brace 12 corresponding to the member 12 described in my said'prior application, and similarly equipped with a steadying pad 13 at its rear extremity to rest back of the hip of the wearer. The brace is formed of suitable Wire as illustrated, although it may also be formed of flat stock or other material as found desirable. It is formed with a large loop 22 at the front end, the sides 23 of'which loop are bent to form pivot eyes 24 receiving respective trunnions 21 loosely and revolubly. The eyes are so formed that the outer portions of the loop sides extend upwardly and inwardly of the-trunnions, thence inwardly over the outer half of the plate 11. The inner part of the loop is of a size and shape to permit the inner half of the plate 11 to.

swing thereinto a distance. The outer part of the loop is formed as a V-shaped loop tongue 25 the extremity of which isarranged to bear upon the-back of the plate 11 at the outer part. The plate 11 on the outer half is much thinner than the central part, whereby a number of segmental spacers 14 may be inserted under the tongue 25 to cause the latter to press the outer part of the plate 11 inward further when necessary,'thus obtaining the effect of the finger lift. The pad pieces 14 may be parts of the pads 14 described in my said prior application, or any other material. Preferably, a number of pieces about of an inch thick, and coated on one side with adhesive, are provided, which may be inserted as required.

The plate 11 may be formed conveniently of wood enamelled as desired, or any other proper material may be employed as found expedient. The material is preferably one of low heat conductivity.

. The brace 12 and the loop tongue 25 may .mi-

lie so formed that there is a substantial flexing of the side parts 23 of the loop 22 under movements of subjacent abdominal portions relatively to the brace 12 so that such movements are accommodated without slipping of the pad 10 on the skin of the wearer, and liability of displacement of the pad 10 from proper position thus further minimized. In addition, strain of tissues by such abdominal movements is minimized when the device is used either with or without coordination with the locator-stabilizer device 1517 of my said prior application. By the pivotal yielding action of the pad 10 this movement in one plane is on the axis of the pin 20 while in a transverse axis it is on the axis of a continuation of the brace 12; and by movements on both the axes a universal pivot effect is obtained which will accommodate surface movements of the abdomen in all directions. The vertical components of such movements (as viewed in Figure 1) are also accommodated in part by vertical oscillation of the adjacent portion of the brace 12.

Initially,in most cases, the tongue 25 is effective in holding the pad 10 with its base and the .plate 11 substantially parallel with the surface of the abdomen when the wearer is at rest. As explained in my said prior aplication, however there are times when it is desirable that the pad 10 be presented slightly below and pressed upwardly upon the hernia. This may be termed the fingen lift action. In applying these devices to use the brace 12 extends downwardly and in wardly over the hip upon the abdomen, and therefore by causing the lower or outer part of the plate 11 to be set inwardly at a sufficient angle to aprojection of the brace 12 thereover, the pad 10 may be caused to press upwardly and engage under the hernia in a satisfactory manner. This is attained after one method by inserting a suitable spacer or spacers 14 between the tongue 25 and the back of the plate 11. The spacers may comprise segments of pad elements having an adhesive coating on one side so that when one of the pieces 14 is presented under the tongue 25 with its adhesive coating next the plate 11, it will be secured in place and properly held against displacement. It may be found desirable to make the elements 14 of highly elastic material such as rubber, or to use some other spring element thereunder in order to afford a certain yielding of the pad 10 toward the element 22 and its return due to slight relative movements of the immediately adjacent parts of the abdomen. This will enhance the resilient action of the device, permitting the pad to move on its pivot very easily within a limited range, the resilient element between the plate 11 and tongue 25 being -more readily compressible and serving as a. spring device. In the use of this device, it may also be found practicable to adjust the angular relation of the plate 11 to the support 12, by bending the tongue portion 25 downward to secure a specific adjustment of the pad to a particular case. This is illustrated in Figure 5, Where a small piece of highly elastic rubber 26 is secured upon the plate 11 directly under the tongue 25 to serve as a spring element and the latter is bent downwardly at an angle to the normal plane of the parts as initially formed.

As pointed out in my said prior application, there are peculiar advantages resultant upon the rocking action of the pad, and in the present specific instance, the improved mounting adds very materially to the rocking effect which may be attained through casual movement of the body, and the diaphragmic rise and fall of the abdominal parts, incident to breathing. These rocking motions produce an automatic massage to the person of the wearer and enhances circulation in the parts over and adjacent the hernia, promoting the rapid rebuilding of thetissues whereby hernia may be finally retained naturally and normally. These effects are also enhanced by the use of stimulating medicament which is permitted to exude from the pad 10, as is well understood from prior disclosure and also customary use of the article in the surgical art.

In Figures 6 to 8 a construction of the pad and mounting is shown by which specially eflicient rocking action is attained and the exposure of the pivotal parts at the sides of the pad also avoided. In this construction a boss 30 is formed transversely on the back of the plate 11, which corresponds to the plate 11, the boss stopping short of the sides of the plate a distance, and an upstanding rounded ear or flange 31 is formed on each edge of the plate 11 alined with the boss. One ear and the boss are bored to receive the pivot pin 33 which is inserted through the aper tured ear until its outer end is within the apertured ear plate 11 and its inner end abuts the opposite ear.

In place of a complete loop such as at 22 in the first described form, two divergent arms 22 are formed on the member 12 having eyes 24 at their ends pivoted on the pin 33 between the boss and the respective ears 31. The arms are intermediately bowed outwardly as at 34 so as to permit the inner half of the plate 11 to swing outward between the arms 22 a distance. The extremities of the wire adjacent the eyes 24 are bent inwardly toward each other and spaced from the plate 11 as at 35, forming seats or rests for respective ends 37 of helical springs 36 formed at the ends of a V-shaped wire tongue 25 corresponding to the tongue 25 before described, bearing centrally upon the plate 11, but of smaller resilient wire, so that it is yielding to movements of the pad 10 incident to corre- (ill sponding relative movements of adjacent abdominal parts in a direction longitudinally of the member 12. The helical springs 36 are engaged loosely around the pin 33 between the ears 31 and boss 30, as shown.

Adjustment of this form of the device whereby it will tend to maintain the plate 11' inclined inwardly at the lower part may be attained by inserting the spacers 14 between the plate 11 and tongue 25.

With or without the spacers the pad 10 may rock within a limited range of movement by fiexure of the springs 36, which are preferably limited in length sufiiciently to oppose tendency of the pad to rock beyond desired limits.

In Figures 9, 10, and 11 a further modification of the manner of-mounting the back plate of the pad on the brace is shown. Here, the plate 11 resembles the one 11. The cars are omitted. The pivot pin 33 is inserted through two spaced bosses 30' so that the ends of the pin project on each side over the plate. The brace member consists of a thick resilient bar 39 of suitable resilient material and made in two sections, the one next the pad being quite short. The two sections of the brace are connected and held in rigid mutual relation by an interiorly threaded sleeve 42, screwed onto the abutting ends and having ample length so that the length of the brace body may be lengthened by unscrewing the sleeve from the proper end, and thus the pad 10 permitted to be adjusted further over the abdomen in a horizontal direction when necessary. The form of the complete brace is the same as described in my earlier application referred to above.

The short section 41 has an inturned end formed with a suitable eye receiving the pin,

33 therethrough by which the plate 11 is mounted pivotally on the brace. The inturned end causes an offset of the major portion of this part from the plate 11*, so that the plate in consequence has ample room for its rocking movement on the pin 33. The tongue 25 a (corresponding to the one 25') has respective helical springs 43 formed midway of each side. and the end portions are extended beyond the helical springs, inwardly, and over the shank of the short section 11 of the brace, upon which they bear so as to cause the central portion to press upon the plate 11 as described in connection with Figures 6 to 8. The functioning and adjustment of the pad member in this form are the same as for the form in Figures 6 to 8.

It will be understood that if desired the loop 22 may be mounted on a plate such as shown in Figures 6 to 8 by spacing the eyes 24 properly and shaping the parts 22 correspondingly.

The possibility of adjustment of the pad by the various forms of construction, to enable the finger lift action, are especially valuable in cases of pendulous or hanging abdomen, where a hernia requires to be retained.

The pivotal action and resilient support of the pad in its medial position are also of great importance in such cases in facllitating the early repair of tissues where other more rigid mountings would press with undue severity upon the parts and tend to delay recovery.

It is not essential that the member 12 be itself a spring and it may be otherwise constructed if desired.

I claim 1. In a pad of the character described, a pad having a pin fixed thereon, a mounting pivoted on the pin, a V-shaped wire tongue having helical springs formed medially of its sides and engaged revolubly on the pin, the opposite parts of the wire being extended beyond the springs, and connected with the mounting.

2. A. pad device of the character described comprising a body-mountable part including a member to lie over the abdomen, a pad haV- ing a pivot pin thereon parallel to the back plane of the pad, said member comprising branched resilient arms having helices engaged revolubly on the pin, at least one being extended beyond the pin and engaged with the back of the pad outwardly of the 3. The structure of claim 2 in which said branched arms are spaced and shaped to permit a part of the pad to swing therebetween.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK J. STUART. 

